Harry ran through the empty street of the human settlement, keeping his senses alert. An incessant cackling followed him, but he didn't turn around to look behind. He knew a Hollow was after him.
He ran faster, making the Hollow follow him until he was sure they were far away from any urban area. Channelling a dense amount of reiatsu to his feet, he used shunpo to disappear from the perception of the Hollow and appeared right behind with a finger aimed at its head.
"Hadou 4: Byakurai."
A concentrated stream of lightning punched through the skull of the Hollow, killing it instantly. Its body disintegrated into spirit particles, leaving nothing in its wake save for a painful growl which was echoed low in the vacant area.
Harry set his eyes on the couple of Hollows being surrounded and dispatched expertly by his subordinates. Their teamwork had improved considerably, which made him proud. His formation and training methods seem to be working splendidly in the field, which obviously made him happy since he was on the right track with his subordinates. Despite the dark turn matters back home had taken recently, Harry tried to look for positives in his line of work.
The Shinigami business was not a safe job. People always lost their lives in the line of duty. It was an accepted risk and one that was less talked about amongst the squad. The Shinigami were the keepers of balance in the spirit world. If not for their work, the spirit world would collapse, and hollows would devour all souls in the world of the living and all spirit realms.
That was why he had no other move to make other than accept his subordinate's execution, even though he thought the sentence was too harsh.
The Gotei 13 remained a military force of Soul Society, and as such, each Shinigami were held to high standards. If the soldiers of the Soul King were to overthrow natural law there were consequences to face. That was the message Central 46 was giving to the Shinigami through the harsher sentencing of Rukia Kuchiki.
He thought there were other ways Central 46 could teach that lesson. After all, there were other well-deserving criminals currently serving as Captains in the Gotei 13. Captain Zaraki and Kurotsuchi came to his mind, who deserved to get some attention from Central 46.
But they were useful beasts of men and hence were ignored by Central 46. At least, Kurotsuchi Mayuri was an esteemed guest of Muken before the man was allowed into the Gotei 13.
An animalistic roar sounded off from the street, making Harry sharpen his focus on the three groups of his subordinates fighting a Hollow. The Hollow was gigantic, almost the size of a one-story building, with the head in the likeness of a frog. It was a base-level Hollow, but it could use its abnormally long tongue to keep his subordinates at bay.
Harry watched the Hollow flick its tongue out and throw saliva at his subordinates. They scrambled to dodge the Hollow's attack. The saliva burned through buildings and electric posts in the area.
'Acidic.' Harry thought, watching the hollow's saliva burn through concrete and metal wires. 'Maybe something more corrosive and dangerous.'
He got an eerie feeling from the substance, and therefore, he decided to step in lest his subordinates suffer a grievous injury.
"Hadou 33: Sokatsui."
A wave of blue flames blasted out of the palm of his hand and struck the Hollow's tongue when it tried to spit more of its acidic saliva at his subordinates. The Hollow howled in agony as the kido spell burned the Hollow's tongue off. As the Hollow writhed in agony, his subordinates bound the Hollow under several Bakudo spells before promptly driving their swords through the Hollow's head.
"Well, that's it. This is the last mission. Good work, everyone." Harry said happily, sheathing his sword.
The relief on the faces of his subordinates was noticeable. After all, they had been out of Soul Society for a week, and his presence amongst them hadn't made them any less concerned. The Gotei 13 wouldn't send higher-ranking Shinigami for a mission if it wasn't dangerous. So, everyone was on edge, and sure enough, they had to dispatch some of the dangerous Hollows from the southern coast of Taiwan.
But they had completed their mission without any causalities, and Harry was satisfied with that alone. He called in Squad 12 communicating their imminent arrival into Soul Society.
"Open the Senkaimon, Akemi-san." said Harry once he received permission to open the gate.
The blue-haired seventh seat of his squad happily opened the Senkaimon, eager to get back home. Harry waited until the last of his subordinates safely crossed over before he too stepped through the gate.
Harry found himself stepping into an early morning with specks of red light in the sky of Soul Society. The sun was just beginning to peak from the horizon where the sky and land met.
"Return now to your quarters after leaving your trackers with the Squad 12. You may take two days leave." said Harry, putting smiles on the faces of his subordinates.
Muttering their thanks, his subordinates made themselves scarce, leaving Harry to deal with the paperwork.
When he was done filing the paperwork and returning all equipment, it was morning with the sun fully shining down from the sky. The misty air was fresh, and it should've been a rejuvenating sight, but Harry could only yawn tiredly. He rushed to his quarters and cleaned himself up before making himself available at his office.
While his subordinates might've been happy to take leave from duty, Harry couldn't afford to do so, considering his position. It didn't surprise him to see a stack of paperwork, which was basically after-action reports from missions and certain bureaucratic decisions to be made. There was some remodelling to be done in the barracks, and it needed proper surveys and permissions granted in a timely manner.
Then, there was the matter of securing supplies for the squad members in distant missions, especially in the World of the Living. He didn't know how long he read paper after paper and stamped almost mechanically at some of them.
At some point, he was on the verge of dozing off.
"You should take some rest, Harry-san." said Captain Ukitake with a kind smile.
Harry snapped out of it and sat up straight behind his desk. Upon seeing the smiling face of his Captain, Harry jumped to his feet with his shoulder back.
"Sorry, sir. I…" Harry smiled embarrassedly.
"You should take the rest of the day off. Any work left can be done tomorrow." said Captain Ukitake.
"But…"
"Consider it an order, Harry-san." said Captain Ukitake with a placid smile. "You have worked without any rest for the duration of the mission. You are of no use to anyone if your health isn't kept in check."
"Yes, sir." Harry agreed to retire early into his bunker even though he was feeling slightly better.
He closed down his office and transferred his authority to Kiyone-san before stepping out onto the grounds. He took a deep breath and enjoyed the breath of fresh air.
"You take some rest, Lieutenant. Everything will be fine over here." said Kiyone, giving him a thumbs up.
"Well, it's a nice day, and I think this is the perfect time to…" Harry stopped and looked up with wide eyes as enormous slabs of Sekkiseki fell around the borders of Seireitei.
The entire city shook as the enormous slabs slammed into the ground around the city, kicking up dust. Alarms started blaring across the city for a brief moment, warning them about an attempted unauthorised entry into the city premises.
"Oh, this can't be happening right now." Harry muttered, rubbing his face tiredly, seeing the first line of protection of the Seireitei activating right before his eyes.
Letting out a tired sigh, Harry slowly turned back into his office. He chanced a look at Kiyone, who was understandably aghast at what was happening right before their eyes.
"Alert the squad and strengthen our patrols. I get the feeling we're not going to get out of this easily." said Harry. "And trust me, it's not a dream. This is happening."
*****
Just as Harry predicted, the situation didn't improve. It only got worse.
Numerous rumours spread in the wake of the Sekkiseki wall forming around Seireitei. However, all common themes in the rumours involved the gatekeeper Jibando losing a fight with the Ryoka and then the invaders confronting Captain Ichimaru.
It was a little odd to know that the invaders survived a confrontation with Captain Ichimaru. From what he had seen so far, Captain Ichimaru was no slouch. The man was one of the most talented soul reapers to come out of the academy. So, an enemy surviving a confrontation with Captain Ichimaru was strange unless the invaders were that powerful.
Harry didn't know what to think about all of this. This strange invader problem suddenly cropped up out of nowhere right when Rukia's sentencing came was strange. He couldn't help but wonder whether all these incidents were connected. Captain Ukitake didn't say anything if he knew something about the incident.
He suspected Captain Ukitake would remain in the dark like everyone else as the Captain fell ill when the Head Captain called for an emergency meeting of the Captains.
His suspicion and instincts were prodding him to think the invaders were connected to Rukia. After all, Jibando was no easy opponent to defeat in battle. He distinctly remembered that the human kid to which Rukia transferred her powers displayed extraordinary power.
'Is it possible the kid managed to survive and somehow arrive at Seireitei to rescue Kuchiki-san?' Harry mused as he gazed at the slow-moving clouds in the blue sky.
Suddenly, a shadow covered his face before a pair of blue eyes, and a cascade of blonde hair obscured his cloud-gazing.
"Hey, there." Rangiku grinned down at him, "Are you taking a nap?"
"Have you seen anyone taking a nap with their eyes wide open?" Harry snarked.
"Clearly, you didn't see me when I went through history lessons in the academy." Rangiku winked at him.
"Hmm. Now, I'm picturing you sitting in a class all prim and proper without making a fuss. Somehow, it's very difficult to imagine you in such a position." said Harry.
"So, you try to imagine me in different positions." Rangiku said, moving her eyebrows suggestively and smiling teasingly at him.
"I didn't until now." Harry replied quickly, keeping a lid on the embarrassment he felt by the suggestive tone and dual meaning coming from Rangiku.
He was about to sit up, but Rangiku lay down next to him on the roof, watching the clouds move.
"Say, Rangiku. Did you not say Captain Ichimaru was your friend?" Harry suddenly asked.
"Yes, childhood friends from Rukongai. What makes you interested in Gin?" Rangiku asked, her head slightly tilted to stare at him curiously.
"He is strong, is he not? His academic excellence is quite well known."
"Where are you going with this?" Rangiku asked with a frown.
"I know where this is going. Gin can be secretive and enigmatic but he's not one to callously help enemies of Soul Society." said Rangiku.
"Secretive and enigmatic might not be the words I'd use to describe that creep." Harry muttered under his breath, thinking about the narrow-eyed Captain of Squad 3 who gave him the creeps just like Captain Kurotsuchi.
The only difference was Captain Kurotsuchi was a mad scientist while Captain Ichimaru was… well, he didn't know how to adequately describe Ichimaru. The man was just plain creepy. Who in their right mind would run around with their eyes snapped shut so tight they look like slits?
He wondered how someone as composed and dignified as Captain Aizen tolerated Ichimaru as his subordinate for so long. He supposed it must've been one of the reasons Captain Aizen was known as the reasonable Captains in the Gotei 13.
"I know Gin acts a little differently, but he is a nice guy." Rangiku defended her childhood friend.
"Uh-huh." Harry muttered, taking that with a pinch of salt, "I suppose you'd know better. But his attitude might not sit well with the Head Captain with the current problem we are facing."
"Gin can handle himself." Rangiku waved dismissively, "Did Captain Ukitake say something?"
"He is currently ill, so he's resting."
"Oh, that's too bad. I hope he…" Rangiku stopped when alarms started blaring across the city, making them both sit up alert on the roof.
"What the hell? What is it now?" Harry muttered, casting his eyes out to the Sekkiseki wall protecting the city.
But the attack, as he had expected, didn't happen on the wall. Instead, it was the barrier that surrounded that came under attack.
Harry stared at the sky where a giant ball of condensed spirit energy crashed into the barrier protecting the Seireitei.
"The barrier – it can't be breached, right?" Rangiku asked, her smokey grey eyes pinned on the giant ball of energy trying to breach the barrier protecting the city.
"Not normally, but…" Harry trailed off as he watched the sphere of spirit energy grinding against the barrier and slowly piercing into the barrier with each passing moment.
Then, with a shudder, the sphere of spirit energy pierced the barrier. The Ryoka broke through the barrier, but the sphere of energy protecting them also suffered destruction. For a brief moment, the Ryoka were suspended in the air before all the energy turned into a vortex, which blasted them away in three directions.
Watching the Ryoka split away and shower down into different parts of the city like a meteor shower was a spectacle. However, unlike a meteor shower, the Ryoka were only going to cause more chaos in the city instead of some colourful streaks in the sky. This much Harry was certain.
*****
Harry sighed as he finished reading the reports being called in by his subordinates.
Thankfully, none of the Ryoka landed close to their part of the city. This made the Ryoka the problem of other division, which he was all too happy to leave in their capable hands. It granted him the time and space to investigate his suspicions about the identity of the Ryoka.
But first, he needed to make sure his subordinates had clear orders to function effectively during the Ryoka invasion. Then, he needed to get permission from his captain before he went out to confirm his suspicions. With most of the squads in chaos, their work in culling the Hollows and guiding the pure souls into Soul Society were bound to take a hit.
There was already a problem with their functioning in Rukongai districts as the Sekkiseki walls made sending their regular patrols into the region complicated. They had to depend on the Shinigami already present outside the walls to carry on the patrolling missions in the districts.
He was not surprised to see all his seated officers assemble outside his office. In the absence of Captain Ukitake, it fell to him to give out orders on his Captain's behalf.
"What are your orders, sir?" Kiyone asked once he closed the doors to his office behind him.
"Let the Ryoka be the responsibility of other squads. Our focus must be on guiding the pure souls from the World of the Living to Soul Society. We will not allow a measly Ryoka invasion to interfere with our primary work. Besides, I have a feeling the other squads will…" Harry trailed off when a Hell Butterfly flew in and came towards him.
Harry raised a finger and allowed the spirit to settle on it as it conveyed the message it carried.
"Huh!" Harry's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"What happened, sir?" Kiyone asked worriedly.
"Ikkaku Madarame of Squad 11 has been defeated by one of the Ryoka. He has been moved to Squad 4 barracks for treatment." said Harry, to the surprise of everyone present.
After all, Ikkaku was the third seat of Squad 11. The bald Shinigami might be slightly eccentric, but Squad 11 was known for their best warriors. So, to be defeated so fast within hours of the Ryoka invasion was quite surprising.
"Quiet down everyone. You'll do your assigned duties without fail. The Ryoka situation will be handled." said Harry firmly, stopping all mutterings amongst the seated officers of Squad 13.
After making sure his subordinates knew what their assigned duties involved, he went straight towards Captain Ukitake's quarters. There were two guards stationed outside the Captain's quarters, and they nodded when he arrived near the door.
"How is the Captain, Kimura-san?" Harry asked before entering.
"He has not yet improved. The coughing has been particularly painful today."
It was a shame someone as experienced and strong as Captain Ukitake was afflicted with a lung disease that sapped the Captain of most of his strength.
"Hasn't the fourth division sent anyone?" Harry asked.
"They did Harry-sama. The medicine has soothed the coughing temporarily, but it is still painful for Captain Ukitake."
Harry frowned in consideration before sighing.
"I'll keep my visit short then." said Harry before entering his captain's chambers.
Thankfully, Captain Ukitake was not asleep when he came in. It made the conversation slightly simpler.
"Are you sure of your suspicions?" Cpatain Ukitake asked.
"I cannot be absolutely certain, sir. But the timing of the Ryoka invasion cannot be overlooked, and the description I received from the Hell Butterfly of the Ryoka who defeated Madarame-san is identical to the human boy Rukia gave her powers."
"So, it seems either Byakuya failed to shatter the boy's borrowed Shinigami powers or…"
"… he awakened those powers on his own, probably with some expert help." Harry finished for his captain, "I believe the Ryoka is involved with exiled Shinigami or maybe someone from the Gotei 13."
"To what end?" Captain Ukitake asked with a pondering look.
"To rescue Rukia or to create chaos in Seireitei for their own aims." Said Harry, "There is no better time than this to do something nefarious in Soul Society." S
"You're right. All squads will be distracted and chase after the Ryoka, leaving us vulnerable." Captain Ukitake said after a moment to ponder, "Keep an eye out, Harry-san. You have my permission to gather intelligence and report to me if you find anything unusual."
"Yes, sir." Harry readily agreed with a firm nod.
*****
Harry employed the easiest method available to him to track the movements of the Ryoka. He sent out his senses to search for strong spiritual pressures while travelling in different parts of the city.
Considering there were twelve strong Lieutenants and Captains in Seireitei, it was not particularly a bright idea. He could've ended up sensing any one of them. But he had a slight advantage because he had a magical spell to augment his sensing skill.
Taking his Zanpakuto into his hands, he placed the flat blade against the palm of his left hand. Placing all five fingers of his right hand against the handle of his sword, he channelled magical energy into the blade.
"Point me." Harry muttered under his breath, willing his intent to manifest into the magical energy permeating his Zanpakuto.
His blade spun in his hand and pointed north, which made Harry disappear in a flash step in that direction.
It didn't take long for him to sense two powerful spiritual pressures clashing in battle with the use of point-me charm and his sensing ability. When he arrived at the spot, he found Lieutenant Abarai clashing with an orange-haired Shinigami.
Harry suppressed his spiritual pressure and merely observed the battle. He took out the portable video recorder used for training purposes to record the happenings, as the recordings would serve as undeniable proof rather than his word.
He sensed the power within the orange-haired Shinigami was growing step by step even as the battle progressed. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but whatever it was, it was steadily chipping away at Lieutenant Abarai's resolve. He could feel the enclosed bond of spiritual pressure coming from Lieutenant Abarai weakening as seconds passed by.
It was quite fascinating to watch as Lieutenant Abarai, someone with nearly a century of experience, losing his hold on his emotions, which in turn caused the weakening of his spirit energy. While this was happening, the chaotic mess of the Ryoka boy's spiritual pressure was strengthening.
Feeling that the battle's result was predetermined, he cast his eyes on the other two sets of eyes, watching the battle unfold.
"The Shiba clan heraldry." Harry muttered, noticing the Noble clan's symbol on one of the Ryoka's attire.
The other Ryoka was dressed as a Shinigami. Going by the backpack slung across the guy's back, Harry deduced that the guy was from the Fourth Division.
'A healer, a noble and a human with Shinigami powers.' Harry mused.
He had to admit what an unusual human the boy was. He couldn't also help but notice the Ryoka boy looked similar to Kaien Shiba, the former lieutenant of Squad 13. He had only seen the man in passing in the Shino Academy during the recruitment process.
Harry couldn't help but wonder whether the orange-haired human was somehow connected to the Shiba clan or if the resemblance was just a lucky coincidence. He liked to think there was more to it. With the elusive nature of the Shiba clan, he wouldn't be surprised if they were up to all sorts of shady stuff.
His eyes went from the Ryoka to the Senzaikyo, where Rukia was held.
'They're getting closer to Rukia's prison.' Harry thought.
A sudden burst of incredible spiritual pressure washed over the area, making Harry stare at the orange-haired boy with a bit of wonder. Momentarily, the Ryoka boy reached near captain-class spiritual pressure, which made Harry wonder what was going on with the human boy. He also noticed the peculiar nature of the boy's Zanpakuto. He had never seen a Zanpakuto without a guard, but this one not only lacked a guard it had a white cloth wrapped around its hilt.
'This is definitely not an ordinary human. This much power in such a short time without any training. Who is this guy?' Harry thought as he watched Lieutenant Abarai get defeated with sheer power from the Ryoka boy, but not without its cost.
He observed silently as the orange-haired human fell unconscious from the wounds after Lieutenant Abarai fell defeated.
Harry saw an opportunity to take the Ryoka boy as a prisoner but dismissed that thought immediately. His orders were to report back to the captain, but he didn't want to get himself involved when noble clans were involved in the mess. Past experience made Harry hesitant to get involved without a second thought. His status as a walking trouble magnet made him concerned about blowing the whole issue into another level of crazy.
'Yeah. I'm not going to tempt fate to make me its bitch again by getting involved in this mess.' Harry thought while securing the recorder safely with him.
The presence of the Shiba clan changed things, which he supposed answered the question of local support for the Ryoka.
'Definitely need the advice of Captain Ukitake before I get way over my head.' Harry thought before disappearing from the area using flash step.
*****
"This is impossible! How can this be?" Captain Ukitake said in disbelief as he stared at the screen, which showed the video recording of the fight between Lieutenant Abarai and the Ryoka boy.
Harry was not surprised to see this kind of reaction from his Captain. After all, the man was seeing the face of his previous lieutenant plastered inch for inch on the Ryoka boy. If not for that horrible-looking orange hair, the Ryoka boy could pass off as a twin of the late Kaien Shiba.
"I checked the after-action reports filed by Squad 6 and Rukia-san's interrogation reports. The Ryoka's name is Ichigo Kurosaki. According to Rukia-san, the boy is an ordinary human with unusual amounts of spirit energy, which allows him to see ghosts. But I don't think that's the case, sir." Harry said, keeping his eyes on Captain Ukitake, who tore his eyes from the screen to look at him curiously.
"What do you mean, Harry-san?" Captain Ukitake asked curiously.
"Captain Kuchiki claimed he destroyed the boy's soul sleep, severing the borrowed powers from Rukia-san." Harry started pointing at the orange-haired boy on the screen, "As you can see, that's clearly not the case. I believe Ichigo Kurosaki has innate Shinigami powers which were awakened by Rukia-san's interference."
"Exactly how or why eludes me, but clearly, Kurosaki-san is not lacking in power. In fact, he is growing stronger at a pace that is frankly scary for a human. This much spiritual pressure would've collapsed an ordinary human soul, but he has not only become a Shinigami but is growing in power each day." Harry finished his explanation and waited for his Captain to say something.
"Your assessment is plausible. Somehow, the Shiba clan is also involved in all of this, which adds to the mystery. To make matters worse, I'm told the Central 46 has been unusually active. They've been sending direct orders to each squad, violating the chain of command."
"That is unusual." Harry commented, frowning at this particular revelation.
The Central 46 never stepped into the authority of Gotei 13 unless it involved breaching one of the sacred laws of Soul Society. If they were interfering directly with the squads, then there would be more going on with the Ryoka invasion.
Harry felt like this was one of those moments where some major trouble was brewing in the shadows, and he was wearing blindfolds, which kept him in the dark.
Even with all the weird things happening in the city, he didn't want to stick his neck and get everyone into more trouble. He had learned to be patient and trust in the wiser men whom he held in high standards.
"What should we do, Captain?" Harry asked, gazing at Captain Ukitake for wisdom.
"I must show this to Shunsui and take his opinion on the matter." Captain Ukitake muttered.
"Shall I also inform Captain Aizen, sir?" Harry asked.
"Yes, that's much better." Captain Ukitake gained more confidence, "In fact, invite Captain Aizen tomorrow morning to a meeting with Shinsui and me. He is one of the reasonable voices in the Gotei 13. The three of us could convince the Head Captain to halt the execution of Rukia-san until a detailed investigation is launched."
"I understand, sir. I'll deliver the invite in-person early morning." Harry promised, knowing this could be the little bit of detail that could exonerate Rukaia-san.
After all, if Ichigo Kurosaki already had Shinigami powers and was a member of the Shiba clan, that'd mean Rukia committed no crime.
That night, he slept a bit more peacefully as hope bloomed in his heart thanks to a new way of paving the release of his subordinate from a cruel fate.
When the morning came, Harry was freshened up and ready just as the first ray of dawn touched the city. He found himself walking towards the entrance of Squad 5 barracks. The guards stationed at the entrance bowed at him as he passed by. But just as he took a few steps inside the territory, a loud scream tore through the otherwise peaceful atmosphere.
"What the hell?" Harry muttered as he looked around in befuddlement.
"What was that?" one of the guards stationed at the entrance yelled, looking around in panic.
"That was definitely Lieutenant Hinamori's sound." another guard claimed.
Harry listened to their talk for a moment before he decided to investigate. He ran towards the direction where he heard the sound come from. After running for a while, he came to a halt, seeing Lieutenant Hinamori frozen and looking up with a horrified expression on her face. He also saw Lieutenant Kira of Squad 3 and a bunch of seated officers.
"What happened?" Harry asked as he appeared beside them using flash step.
"I… look…" Lieutenant Kira raised a shaky finger and pointed.
Harry followed the finger, and cold dread settled in his heart as he witnessed Captain Aizen's bloody corpse pinned to the top portion of a building by his own Zanpakuto. There was blood everywhere, and Harry stared with wide eyes at the lifeless eyes of the gentle Captain who was once his teacher at the Shino Academy.
AN:
To read ahead of the update schedule; pat(r) eon. C (O) M/Dragonspectre.
For artwork related to the fic:
https://discord.gg/Nw2JH25fJf